This week is congress in Toronto. Although I’m not attending any sessions, I am looking forward to meeting a bunch of nice folks that until now, I’ve only talked with over the phone, skype or email. My parents shake their head at the idea that I do work with people (who pay me! can you imagine?) that I may never meet. It is a different world that’s for sure. The way we interact with people, the way we learn and grow. The internet has changed a lot. What did we do before it? I can’t even remember now. But the fact remains – there is nothing like meeting and talking with people face to face, who share a passion for what we do and more importantly, who we do it with. As a point, remember this as you communicate with your donors. Make sure that every touch point where they may meet you is a enjoyable, reliable and inspirational one.
In the past I’ve spent quite a bit of time pooh-poohing advertising that was done by agencies looking for the glory of winning awards. It’s safe to say that while not a lot of people would mistake my design work as award winning – it is effective and has helped get the message out there and make people open their hearts, minds and wallets. Nonetheless, I always like looking at advertising that is created just for awareness – of the charity or of the issue. Here are some that I’ve recently come accross. I hope you like looking at them too.
Hi John,
Is it okay to say publicly how much fun it was to finally meet you and Tara? Online networking is great and changing the way we interact for sure.
Spending time with you, Tara and your other friends was a highlight of the congress! Thanks for coming down.
Kimberley
Hey Kimberley – not at all – I wish I could do that more often. It’s great talking to other passionate and inspiring people. Thanks for your company. john
These are really powerful images that communicate in an instant. They’re great.
But awareness and positioning communications are just the beginning. Ultimately, the organization has to inspire or prompt behavior change.
That’s my biggest gripe with awareness proponents. It only gets you part of the way there. It’s as if awareness and brand builders think that creating demand is the goal. Its not. Its one of several strategies for raising gifts and increasing sales. Goals always come before strategy. But in practice, such advertisers tend to mix up the two causing flawed planning and ineffective advertising.
That’s why direct marketing and awareness building are both strategies designed to increase sales or gifts. They should work together to improve overall response.
Until the delineation between goals and strategies is clear, direct marketers and awareness people will never work well together. So I fully empathize with your comment here that you have “spent quite a bit of time pooh-poohing advertising that was done by agencies looking for the glory of winning awards.”